Don't Procrastinate, Vaccinate!!

The public is strongly urged to vaccinate all of their domestic pets and valuable livestock against rabies and to be sure vaccinations are kept up-to-date. Now that rabies has been found in a terrestrial animal within the county, any domestic animal encounter with any wild animal will be treated like an exposure to a rabid animal. Domestic animals with one expired rabies or without any rabies vaccinations will be classified as high risk and be required to undergo a120-day quarantine.



Rabies is caused by a virus that affects the nervous system of humans and other mammals and is nearly always fatal. The virus is shed in the saliva of infected animals. People or animals can get rabies from the bite of a rabid animal or from a rabid animal’s saliva if it comes in contact with their eyes, nose, mouth or open wounds. Immediate medical treatment is required after exposure to an infected animal. Skunks, bats, foxes, raccoons and other wildlife should not be handled or fed to prevent exposure to this virus.  

In addition to rabies vaccinations for pets and livestock, here are additional precautions to prevent possible exposure to rabies:

• Avoid contact with any wild animals, especially any that act unusually. A healthy wild animal will generally avoid human contact.
• Teach children to stay away from all wild animals, stray domestic pets or any dead animals and tell an adult if they are scratched or bitten.
• Wildlife suffering from rabies will often be out during the day, act aggressively and violently approach people or pets. Rabid wildlife might also stumble or have trouble walking.
• Do not let pets roam freely, since this can increase the chance that they could be exposed without your knowledge. 
• Contact your veterinarian if your dog or cat is bitten or scratched by a wild animal.
• If a person has been bitten or scratched by a wild mammal, they should wash the area thoroughly with soap and water, seek immediate medical attention and notify their local public health agency. Prompt medical treatment is key to preventing rabies after a possible exposure.
• Do not feed wild animals, since this reduces their natural fear of humans 
• Do not leave pet food or livestock feed outside or feed more than your outdoor pet will finish in one feeding. 

Resources:

• Wildlife Rabies and You  (brochure)
• For more information or to report a suspicious animal, please contact your local animal control agency or Jefferson County Animal Control: 303-271-5070
• For more information about rabies contact Environmental Health Services Animal Borne Disease Program at 303-232-6301 or visit http://jeffco.us/public-health/healthy-environments/animal-borne-disease/
• Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment Rabies Data: https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/cdphe/rabies-data

Healthy and Safe Swimming Week 2017

The week before Memorial Day (May 22–28, 2017) is Healthy and Safe Swimming Week. The goal of this Week is to maximize the health benefits of swimming by promoting healthy and safe swimming. Just 2.5 hours of water-based (or other forms of) physical activity per week has health benefits for everyone. Each of us plays a role in preventing illnesses and injuries linked to the water we share and swim in, this summer and year-round.

Why Is This Important?	A Few Simple and Effective Prevention Steps We Can All Take
Illnesses caused by the germs in the places we	Every swimmer should:
swim:	·   Stay out of the water if you have diarrhea. ·   Shower before you get in the water.
In 2011–2012 (the last years for which national	·   Don’t pee or poop in the water.
data are available), 90 outbreaks were linked	·   Don’t swallow the water.
to swimming; almost half of these outbreaks
were caused by Cryptosporidium (or “Crypto”	Every hour—everyone out!
for short). Chlorine can kill most germs within	·   Take kids on bathroom breaks.
minutes at concentrations recommended by	·   Check diapers and change them in a bathroom or diaper
CDC and typically required by state and local	changing area—not poolside—to keep germs away from the
health departments. But Crypto can survive	pool.
more than 1 week at these chlorine
concentrations. Diarrheal incidents in the	FREE printed English and Spanish Healthy Swimming brochures
water we share and swim in can easily spread	are available at
germs and potentially cause outbreaks.	www.cdc.gov/healthywater/swimming/materials/brochures.ht
Because chlorine and other disinfectants don’t	ml
kill germs instantly, it’s important to keep
these germs, particularly Crypto, out of the
water in the first place and not drink the water
we share and swim in, this summer and year-
round.
For more info, visit
www.cdc.gov/healthyswimming
Drowning:	Keep swimmers safe in the water.
Every day, two children less than 14 years old	·   Make sure everyone knows how to swim.
die from drowning. Drowning is a leading	·   Use life jackets appropriately.
cause of injury death for children ages 1–4	·   Provide continuous, attentive supervision close to swimmers.
years.	·   Know CPR.
For more info, visit	Prevent access to water when pool is not in use.
www.cdc.gov/HomeandRecreationalSafety/Wa	·   Install and maintain barriers like 4-sided fencing and weight-
ter-Safety/waterinjuries-factsheet.html	bearing pool covers. ·   Use locks/alarms for windows and doors.

Injuries caused by mishandling pool chemicals (for pool operators and residential pool owners): Pool chemicals are added to maintain water quality (for example, kill germs). Each year, however, mishandling of pool chemicals by operators of public pools and residential/backyard pool or hot tub/spa owners leads to 3,000–5,000 visits to emergency departments across the United States. For more info, visit www.cdc.gov/healthywater/swimming/aquatic s-professionals/preventing-pool-chemical- events.html	Pool operators and residential pool owners should: ·   Read and follow directions on product labels. ·   Wear appropriate safety equipment (for example, goggles), as directed on product labels, when handling pool chemicals. ·   Secure pool chemicals to protect people, particularly young children, and animals. ·   Add pool chemicals poolside ONLY when directed by product label and when no one is in the water. Prevent violent, potentially explosive, reactions. ·   NEVER mix different pool chemicals with each other, particularly chlorine products and acid. ·   Pre-dissolve pool chemicals ONLY when directed by product label. o Add pool chemical to water, NEVER water to pool chemical.
	FREE printed and laminated poster on safe storage and poster on safe handling available at www.cdc.gov/healthywater/swimming/materials/posters.html
Harmful Algal Blooms:	Avoid water that contains harmful algal blooms—when in
Algae can grow in warm, nutrient-rich fresh	doubt, stay out!
and marine waters. When there is an abundant	·   Look for waterbody or beach advisories announced by local
growth of algae that harms people or animals,	public health authorities or beach managers. If the beach is
it is referred to as a harmful algal bloom (HAB).	closed, stay out.
HABs in fresh and marine waters can produce	·   Don’t swim, water ski, or boat in areas where the water is
toxins that cause a variety of illnesses including	discolored or where you see foam, scum, or mats of algae on
skin irritation, coughing, sneezing, diarrhea,	the water’s surface.
stomach pain, numbness, and dizziness.	·   Avoid entering or swimming in bodies of water that contain
Symptoms can vary depending on the type of	or are near dead fish or other dead animals.
HAB toxin and the type of exposure, such as	·   Keep children or pets from playing in or drinking scummy
skin contact, ingestion by eating food or	water.
drinking water contaminated with HAB toxins,	·   If you do swim in water that might contain a harmful algal
or breathing in tiny droplets or mist	bloom, get out and rinse off with fresh water as soon as
contaminated with HAB toxins.	possible. ·   If pets, especially dogs, swim in scummy water, rinse them
For more info, visit	off immediately. Do not let them lick the algae off of their
www.cdc.gov/habs/index.html	fur.

Jefferson County Public Health takes parts in Colorado Denim Day!

Jefferson County Public Health staff took part in Colorado Wear Denim day.  Employees wearing jeans will also have stickers that they can wear to let everyone know why they are wearing jeans on Denim Day. Wearing jeans is a conversation-starter and visual sign of your support of survivors. Colorado Denim Day shows the power of communities coming together to support survivors and take a stand against sexual violence.  Employees were also given the option to donate 5 dollars to the Colorado Coalition Against Sexual Assault.  JCPH staff raised 70 dollars and put up a group picture on social media to show their support.

New Social Marketing Campaign Takes on Stigma Around Mental Health

The Project’s Goal is to Lower Stigma so People Get the Help They Need

A new Colorado social marketing campaign is designed to reduce the stigma around mental health treatment so that people who need this care will access it. The campaign, called “Let’s Talk Colorado,” is sponsored by a coalition of public and private health agencies including Jefferson County Public Health.  This work is part of the Colorado State Innovation Model (SIM) grant to better integrate physical and behavioral health.

“The stigma around mental illness and seeking mental health care is one that unfortunately endures, and lowering this stigma is essential so that people who have mental health challenges know they are not alone, that there is treatment that can help and, finally, that they are valued and deserve quality care,” said Dr. Margaret Huffman, Community Health Division Director.

To ensure the project meets its goal of lowering the stigma around mental illness and mental health care, the project team used a series of focus groups to test messages designed to resonate with both patients, medical providers and the public generally. The revised messages were then integrated into a variety of materials including a short video, social media content, a presentation and flyer.

“We are so pleased that Jefferson County Public Health was able to participate in this project,” said Dr. Huffman.  “As we dived in we learned so much about how stigma impacts those who are struggling, and why people with mental illnesses are often reluctant to self-identify. We as a society have much work to do to allow people with mental health challenges to feel it’s okay to talk about their illness, and to seek care.”

The Let’s Talk Colorado campaign stresses there is no right or wrong words to use when talking to someone struggling with mental illness. Instead, the campaign emphasizes to be “present” when talking with someone with mental illness and to consider offering tangible, specific help. For example, instead of asking, “What can I do to help?” say, “I’d like to bring you dinner tonight. I will drop it off at 5 pm. Will you be home then?”

“Through our focus groups we learned that intent is much more important than specific language,” Douglas said. “People with mental illnesses – like everyone – need to be able to see and feel that you really do care, that your interaction with them is sincere.”

Besides Jefferson County Public Health, other agencies involved in the coalition that launched Let’s Talk Colorado include the Tri County Health Department, 9Health Fair, Aurora Mental Health Center, Boulder County Public Health, Broomfield Public Health, Centura/Denver South Group, Children’s Hospital Colorado, Clinica Family Health, ClinicNet, Community Reach Center, Denver Public Health, Doctors Care, Douglas County Government, Jefferson Center for Mental Health, Jefferson County Public Health, Mental Health Center of Denver, Metro Community Provider Network, SCL Health, Sheridan Health Services and West Pines Behavioral Health.

For more information on the campaign, and for links to the campaign’s materials and resources, go to LetsTalkCO.org.